


The Quick and the Dead

by RedTeamShark



Series: The Quick and the Dead [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - The Fast and the Furious, Amputation, Autistic Character, Car Accidents, F/F, F/M, Injury, Nonbinary Character, Prosthesis, Scarring, Street Racing, Undercover, Yang Xiao Long: Unstoppable Pansexual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-10-29 02:50:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10844949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedTeamShark/pseuds/RedTeamShark
Summary: Following a series of high-value truck robberies, Officer Yang Xiao Long is sent undercover into the world of illegal street racing to track down the perpetrators. As she grows closer with one particular crew, the choice between her future and her found family becomes more difficult.The Fast and the Furious AU no one knew they wanted.





	1. Chapter 1

**Red Light**

Slow inhale, slow exhale. Fingers tight around the handlebar, twitching for the throttle. Not yet. Not just yet.

Revving of engines, a whine of noise that even a helmet can’t drown out.

**Yellow Light**

Steady. Touch the throttle but don’t open it up yet. Not yet.

A _bang_ that could be an exhaust backfire or could be a gun. Smashing glass.

**Green Light**

The world pounds to life as the rumble of a motor drowns out everything else. Colors blur, only focus the black and white of the finish line a quarter mile away.

Screeching tires and shouts, the taste of pavement and blood as layers of cloth shred down to nothing.

**Go**

Yang woke up with a start, her hand instinctively going to her right arm. She hissed in pain, letting go and reaching instead for the lamp beside her bed, examining the skin there.

It was still red around the edges, still raw to the touch. The “donor sites” as the doctors had called them were healing well enough, it was her arm that still felt raw, nerves singing. Supposedly that part was all in her head.

With an effort, she pushed the thoughts away, standing and stretching. She’d heal and get back to work and it wouldn’t matter. For now… Medical leave or not, Yang wasn’t about to start slacking off. She traded her tank top and shorts for pants and a hoodie, tucking her phone into her pocket and leaving the house. Her eyes lingered on her bike before she climbed behind the wheel of Ruby’s Jeep, driving down the pre-dawn streets to the beach. A run would clear her head and was one of the only workouts she was approved for at the moment.

Besides, she liked the beach in the early morning. California didn’t have the sunrises that her childhood home back in Virginia did, but the sun climbing over the mountains to give everything the endless-summer look of midday was almost as good.

* * *

 “Ugh, the sun’s too fuckin’ bright.”

“It wouldn’t be so bad if you wore sunglasses that worked instead of your nonsense ‘designer’ ones.” As if to prove the point he tilted his head towards the sky, squinting down under the blue-tinted glasses. “Ow.”

“You were saying, asshole?”

He snorted, shoving her instead of responding. “Look, just keep an eye out for them.”

“Sir, yes sir.” A fake salute, the two growing quiet as they sat back on the bench downtown. Crowds passed, the ebb and flow of humanity on a weekday afternoon. No one took particular notice of them, and that was no surprise. New York might have been the original city of ‘mind your own business,’ but everywhere else had been quick to adopt the mindset. Besides, two people sitting on a bench was hardly noteworthy.

“They’re late.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious," she huffed, brushing mint green hair behind her ears. “Maybe they got caught in traffic.”

“Or caught by the police.”

“Roman’s watching the scanners, he’d let us know if the cops were closing in on our… operation.” Still, she checked her phone to be sure. No missed calls, no new texts. “Mercury, relax. People run late.”

“Not when Cinder tells them a time.” Mercury stood, his hands pushing into his pockets. “Come on, Emerald. Situation’s gone south, they can reschedule if they want their share.” He turned, walking away without waiting for her.

Emerald hesitated another moment, torn between what Cinder had told them to do--meet the contact--and what Mercury had said. He had good instincts, but defying Cinder went against her nature. “Five more minutes?”

His footsteps hesitated and she let out a breath. Mercury rejoined her on the bench, frowning at the passing traffic. “It feels like a set up.”

“If they try anything, we can handle it. We’ve gotten out of worse.” His nervousness was contagious, though, and Emerald found herself looking over her shoulder more often than she should have. Looking paranoid did no favors to keeping a low profile.

“Paranoid?” The voice that spoke to her thoughts made her jump and beside her, she could feel Mercury tensing up.

“You’re late, Tyrian,” she hissed, turning just enough to face them as they leaned over the back of the bench, putting themself between her and Mercury. “You know how Cinder feels about punctuality.”

“And I know how _she_ feels about subtlety. You could take a lesson in it, kiddo.”

“Oh, shut your d--”

“Enough.” Mercury’s voice broke up the fight, surprisingly calm. “Do you have the information?”

“Do you have the cash?” Tyrian returned, their face uncomfortably close to Mercury’s. Some subtlety.

“Information first, then cash. Just like always.” He was fighting the urge to push the other away, Emerald could see it in the tension of his arms.

“You know, I’m starting to think you don’t value my friendship…” A small card dropped from their sleeve to the bench and Emerald picked it up, slipping it into the appropriate slot on her phone.

She skimmed the files, looking to Mercury and nodding. “It’s all here and the encryption is good.”

Mercury pulled an envelope from the pocket of his jacket, handing it over to Tyrian. “Now get lost.”

“So unfriendly… You know, it’s a wonder we work together at all…” Quick fingers counted the money before the envelope disappeared to the same place the SD card had come from. They pushed away from the bench, arms raising dramatically. “If you like your place here so much, you should consider an attitude adjustment.”

“Fuck off already,” Emerald snapped, though Tyrian had already left. She slumped against the bench, crossing her arms. “I hate that asshole.”

“Watts is worse.” Mercury shrugged, brushing the shoulder of his jacket off. “At least Tyrian is all talk. The day they have any pull with her is the day I start living as an honest man.”

That got a smile and even a laugh, Emerald covering her mouth and snorting through her nose. “That I’d love to see. What would you even _do_?”

“I could be a mechanic?”

“You can’t add two digit numbers.” She stood up, looking up and down the street. “C’mon, let’s get back home and have Neo re-encrypt this before we look it over. See what our next job is.”

“Sir, yes sir,” he mimicked, complete with fake salute.

When it had just been them it had been easy. Small stuff. Hitting gas stations for a few hundred bucks at a time, shoplifting, sometimes late night mugging. Violent but petty. But ever since Cinder had gotten back from prison she’d changed… Said she had something bigger and better for them, someone to be in touch with. It wasn’t just about the crew anymore.

Emerald didn’t like it, but she wasn’t about to say anything about it. Cinder would toss her out to the streets and she’d be alone again.

She couldn’t have that.

* * *

 The camera flashed again and Yang made a face, shielding her eyes. “ _Dad_.”

“What? I can’t take pictures of my little girl all grown up and taking her first undercover assignment?”

“Well, uh, _no_?” Yang huffed, trying to swat the camera out of her father’s hands. He held it up over her head, flash going off again. “Isn’t that the department surveillance camera? Uncle Qrow, tell him this counts as misuse of department equipment and taxpayer dollars and stuff!”

“Hey, I’m not the one that has to justify the budget.” Still, the other man stepped over, plucking the camera from Taiyang’s hands and setting it on the table. “I am the only federal agent on this case, though, so for the sake of my department’s reputation… Will you two at least _pretend_ to be professionals?”

“I am a fully certified officer of the law, Agent Branwen, and completely professional.”

“You can’t even say that with a straight face.” Yang elbowed her dad lightly in the side, both of them growing serious as the door to the conference room opened.

The man that stepped into the room was rather stately, with his wire rimmed glasses, cane, and finely tailored suit, coffee mug in one hand being set on the wide table there. He looked over the gathered group, nodding to each one in turn. “Qrow. Good to see you again. Taiyang… and Officer Xiao Long, I’m glad to have you back to full time duty.”

“Glad to be back to it.” Yang smiled as her father and uncle nodded their acknowledgement.

“We all know why we’re here, so I’ll keep the formalities brief. There have been a series of truck robberies in the area, mostly electronics. The drivers all report the same thing, black cars most likely foreign made, someone who takes out the windshield, then climbs in and knocks them out. They wake up with their truck but no equipment, usually at a rest stop or roadside attraction. The perpetrators are described as professional drivers, likely with inside information on what each truck they attack is carrying...  Forensics has confirmed that the tire skids from each crime scene are the same and investigations has linked it to items used in illegal street racing. Because this crime has crossed state borders, the FBI has asked Agent Branwen to get results, but still allowed me jurisdiction. And I’ve decided to send you in undercover, Officer Xiao Long.” He frowned a moment, looking from Yang to Taiyang. “I… don’t recall inviting you to this meeting, however.”

“Handler and point of contact, Oz. She needs an extract if her cover is blown.” Tai shrugged. “It was either me or Bart.”

Collectively, the four people in the room shuddered, glancing at the door as if just saying his name would cause the man to appear. There wasn’t necessarily anything _wrong_ with Bartholomew Oobleck, but without proper mental preparation, he was difficult to handle.

“Right. Well, we’ve established a cover, set up a headquarters, and will begin operation on your say, Miss Xiao Long… Or should we perhaps call you Miss Branwen now.”

Yang’s teeth gritted down, her eyes darting from her father to her uncle. She wasn’t using Qrow’s name as cover, she was using her mother’s maiden name. An easy enough one to remember, but… There was no time to argue it, though. The truckers were going to start fighting back if they didn’t crack the case soon. “I can go now.”

“We’ve arranged you a job at a parts shop tied to the racing scene. The owner was… quite cooperative,” Ozpin passed her a file, the details on her cover that she’d already memorized plus information about this new job. Behind her, Qrow snorted.

“Anyone facing thirty-to-life seems pretty cooperative when given an out, huh?”

“As long as he stays cooperative…” Tai agreed, taking the file when Yang passed it to him.

Ozpin dismissed them after another moment, handing control of the job over to Yang. She looked between her dad and her uncle, putting on a smile. “Well, guess you better start calling me ‘Miss Branwen’ now, huh?” Her tone was a bit more accusatory than she’d intended, eyes narrowing.

“Yang… Firecracker… Cover names have to be something that you can adjust to. A family name is a usual suggestion because you’re used to hearing it,” Qrow explained, sitting on the edge of the conference table. “And that one has… certain perks on both sides of the law.”

“Could have used a little warning is all.” She missed the look between Qrow and Taiyang, the raised eyebrow and quick headshake. That “Rose” had been a suggested cover name shot down by Tai wasn’t something she needed to know.

“The department is willing to fund a new bike for you,” Tai spoke up, trying to break the tension. “Though funds allocation is going to scream blue murder when they realize how expensive illegal street racing actually is.”

“I won’t need a new bike.” She gave them a more genuine grin, ignoring the twinge of her arm. “Bumblebee’s back up to peak condition and I need to spend some quality time with my girl.”

* * *

 White Fang was definitely not the place she’d have chosen for her cover. The guy that ran it, Adam Taurus, gave her a serious case of the creeps and bargain or not, she was going to try to get him sent to prison after this job was over.

At least her ‘co-workers’ weren’t all that bad. Too bad none of them were likely to speak to her ever again after this job.

“You’re gonna get grease in your hair, you know,” a voice behind her, something hitting her in the shoulder. “Here.”

“I mean, that’s what shampoo is for, but… thanks.” Yang tied her hair up in the band that had been snapped at her, eyeing the girl that had spoken. Long hair held back with a ribbon, the bow tied to almost look like cat ears. “So lemme guess… The only person that knows what she’s doing here?”

“More or less. Blake Belladonna.” She offered her hand and a smile, shaking Yang’s briefly.

“Yang Branwen.”

Friendly, quiet, smart as hell with a bike and, as Yang discovered when they went on lunch break, a complete bookworm. Blake Belladonna would actually be friend material, if she wasn’t undercover. That was a shame.

“So, do you race?” Blake asked, pushing her salad around with her fork. “You know, uh… nonprofessionally.”

“Sometimes… I mean, as much as getting from one traffic light to the next in record time counts. Why, do you?”

“No, god no. I like the bikes, but I don’t really like the whole… race thing. A little too close to death for me.”

Yang nodded, trying to ignore the twinge in her arm. It was old news and without close inspection, no one could even see the skin graft. “It’s fun, though. A thrill. Riding the razor edge between control and destruction.”

“Mmm… if you say so.” Blake set her salad aside, pointing across the parking lot at the cars and bikes parked there. “Let me guess… the black and yellow one?”

It wasn’t like she could hide it. Instead Yang smiled sheepishly, nodding. “Yeah. That’s my Bumblebee.”

“You mind if I… take a look at her sometime?”

“You can look at her if I can give you a ride on her.”

Blake laughed, nodding. “Point taken. Experienced hands only.”

Comfortable silence enveloped them as they sat at the table outside the shop, lunch hour drawing to a close. It’d be back to the grease and noise soon, sure, and they could talk after work, but…

“You mentioned racing,” Yang said, fingers tapping the edge of the table. “Nonprofessional racing. Is there… a big scene around here?”

Blake glanced around, lowering her book. “Yeah… Cars and bikes. Most people that come through here are… involved somehow.”

“So where is it?”

“Hey! Back to work, you two!” Adam’s voice cut off Blake’s answer and she glanced over her shoulder, waving him off briefly.

They both stood, moving back to the shop. Blake paused at the door, her eyes on Yang’s face. “Meet me at Torretto’s tonight at 10. Around the back.”

“Torretto’s, got it.”

She had her in.


	2. Chapter 2

Toretto’s was not a garage, nor a parts shop, as she’d expected. In fact, it was probably the last thing she _would_ have expected. The lunch counter looked like it was run out of a converted garage, lazily spinning ceiling fans barely moving the still night air, the crumbling cul de sac turned into a restaurant with tables out on the cracked pavement and repurposed white Christmas lights giving the whole thing a bare-visibility type of glow.

Yang found Blake at a table and sat down across from her, eyeing the sandwich with the single bite taken out of it. “The tuna here is awful,” Blake explained, picking up her sandwich and taking another bite. “But for some reason I get it every time.”

“This is not the place I expected to find racing…”

“No?” Blake gestured to the small groups at various tables. “You sure?”

Taking a closer look around, Yang realized her mistake. Most of them wore motorcycle jackets or leathers, helmets at their feet. The shop counter was decorated with decals and license plates, posters of hot chicks in tight leather on monster bikes. “Okay, so it’s exactly the kinda place that seems to… cater to race fans.”

“And drivers. You bring your bike tonight?”

“Of course.”

“Any cash?”

Yang frowned, watching Blake’s face closely. “Some…”

“It’s two grand to get into a race and if you get busted by the cops you’re on your own. If you’re short on cash but high on ego, you can bet the title to your bike.”

“To Bumblebee? Not a chance. I have the cash.”

“Then let’s go.” Blake pushed her sandwich away, standing and picking up a helmet from her feet that Yang hadn’t even seen. “I’m your ticket in, so you better win enough to start buying me lunch.”

“I thought you didn’t ride?” She hurried to keep up, frowning. Blake’s bike was beautiful, black and chrome with just a hint of purple in the dim light.

“I don’t _race_ . I wouldn’t be at Adam’s if I didn’t _ride_. Now follow me.”

* * *

“Are you racing tonight?” Emerald leaned over the back of the couch, her eyes on the screen as Mercury played his video game. Something with racing, all of them were the same to her.

“Wasn’t planning on it. Does Cinder want me to?” The virtual car hit the wall and he cussed under his breath, fingers tapping out a button combination to restart.

“She wants us to go down there. Apparently there’s a new girl working at Taurus’ that has a hell of a bike. He told Cinder he thinks she might be there.”

“Huh.” Mercury didn’t move and Emerald sighed, shoving him.

“She’s apparently pretty hot.” Still nothing. “Big tits.” His fingers faltered on the buttons. “And blonde, so, you know… Total bimbo.”

“I’ll get my coat.” He snapped the TV off, the two of them leaving quickly. Roman and Neo would be down there, too. It was impossible to keep Neo away from the scene.

* * *

"You’re not worried about cops?” Yang asked, rolling her bike up next to Blake’s on the edge of the gathered crowd. The dark-haired girl shook her head, pointing.

“Police scanners there, there, and there. If they get nosey, we can get out before they ever arrive. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with hanging out.”

It was a hell of a crowd for just ‘hanging out,’ however, at least a few hundred people milling around between streets and parking lots, examining cars and motorcycles. She saw money exchanging hands, and drugs, and the entire crowd reeked of beer. Drunk driving, illegal street racing, illegal gambling… All right under the nose of the cops. Her dad would hit the roof.

“Earth to Yang, come in Yang!” Blake waved a hand in front of her face and Yang snapped to attention again. “There you are. Come on, if you want to get into a race, you gotta get your name on the roster. This way.”

They rolled through the crowd, catcalls and whistles following them, more directed at the bikes than at the two of them it seemed. Yang kept her visor up, not quite moving fast enough to need the shielding from the wind. She’d flip it down before a race, one extra layer of protection against any crashes. Not that she’d crash. Not again.

A girl in a pristine white coat waved when they approached, running surprisingly well in heeled boots and throwing her arms around Blake’s neck. “Babe!” She let go, stepping back and brushing her coat off. “I didn’t think you were coming down tonight.”

Blake finally took her helmet off, shaking out her hair before placing a light kiss on the other girl’s cheek. “I wanted to show my new co-worker the scene. Hey, can you get her into a race, Weiss?”

Weiss turned, looking Yang and her bike up and down slowly. “Hmm… What’s your time on a quarter mile?”

“10.2 usually. Ran a 9.7 once.” The race before the crash. Not quite world record numbers, but close.

“I can get you in the third race… If you have the cash.” Yang dug into her pocket, handing over the wad of bills and watching Weiss count them in almost a blur of speed. “Okay. Come find me again if you win. If you’re not on the start line at... “ she glanced at her watch, “11:15, you forfeit.” Her attention turned to Blake again, eyes narrowed. “ _You’re_ not racing tonight, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then once you show her to the start line, come find me. I need a neck message.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Weiss walked off to another cluster of people and Yang turned to Blake, eyebrows raised. “Girlfriend?”

“What gave it away?” Blake deadpanned back, starting her bike up. “Come on. The course is a straight shot, flat road, three crossroads. People will keep it blocked off during races, so all you need to look at is the finish line.” She guided the way through the crowd, pulling up next to a crudely painted white line. “You really ran a 9.7 once?”

“Once,” Yang agreed, adjusting her jacket and zipping it up, double-checking that her hair was tucked into her helmet. The less drag the better.

“On your Bumblebee?”

“The very same.”

“Nice. I can’t get below a 10.6… Not that I’m allowed to try anymore.” Blake smiled, shaking her head. “I’ll be down at the finish line, okay? Giving Weiss her neck massage.”

“Hey… Is she good to you?”

“Good as they get.” With that she was off, taillights flashing briefly down the road. Yang supposed it wasn’t her business what other people’s relationships were, but still… Knowing Blake was happy made her feel better.

* * *

The thrill of the quarter mile in real life _was_ better than a video game that he sucked at. And the girls walking around in short skirts and tight pants were better than the highly unattainable scenery at the house. So, Emerald had a good idea, dragging him out here.

Mercury leaned over his bike, eyes scanning the crowd, watching the racers line up three streets up. This was the second race of the night and so far, the cops had been kept away. Amazing what some bribery could do, but if Schnee Engines’ investors knew company profits were going towards making the cops ignore illegal street racing, the place would probably have to close doors before the morning. Not that it’d impact him, he wouldn’t dream of using their shitty parts for his bike.

“10.9? God, these people _suck_ ,” Roman spoke over the crowd next to him, one hand on Neo’s back as always. Even with bikes to look at, the noise of a crowd was likely to overwhelm her if he got more than about arm’s reach away. “You should get out there and show them how it’s really done, pretty boy.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “Gotta keep things fair, or they won’t keep letting me win money. Besides, Emerald already talked to the princess, race slots are filled.” Weiss kept her information and her money in a tight fist, the most Emerald had been able to pry out of her was that the 11:15 was likely to be interesting. Mercury glanced at his watch, eyes trailing to the top of the street. “Hey, Neo… Anything worthwhile here tonight?” He might have missed the opportunity for cash racing, but Weiss didn’t control the races where people bet their bikes.

The petite girl looked thoughtful, started to shake her head and then stopped. Her eyes skimmed the crowd before she turned to Roman, leaning up and speaking into his ear.

“There’s someone with a black and yellow bike up near the start. She says it looks like potential.”

“Racing?”

Neo shrugged, hand see-sawing lightly. Could be a racer, could be a show off. He’d have to wait and see, then.

Mercury turned his attention back to the makeshift track as the next group lined up, eyebrow raised. “Looks like your potential is racing. Let’s see how they do.”

* * *

A quarter mile up, Yang flipped her visor down and got into position. She kept one foot lightly on the ground, bike purring under her, ready to move at the barest pressure on the throttle.

Inhale, exhale. Steady.

A girl stood in the middle of the track, just a step beyond the start line, makeshift white flag in her hand. She made eye contact with each of the racers, nodding slightly to each when their attention was confirmed. Her hand lifted, flag held up in the night.

Narrowed focus, the start flag. Then the finish line. Ten seconds of life or death.

She was ready.

The flag dropped and Yang took off, barely aware of anything around her. Time seemed to change when she was going that fast, her focus in so tight. One of the traffic lights switched from green to red and she swore she felt every individual photon from it make contact with her retina and bounce back to her brain, her neurons firing, interpreting the signal that would mean _stop_ if she was anywhere else.

More important than color, though, was the white line. Sprayed down on the ground in the middle of the next intersection and she could _feel_ that there was no one between her and it, that she was going to win.

She hit the line to screams from the crowd, cut the engine and turned, just shy of the mass of people. Somehow she spotted Blake in the group, dutifully rubbing Weiss’ shoulders, and had time to give them a wink before she was being surrounded, hands everywhere slapping her back and shoulders in congratulations.

“9.7!” Someone shouted and everyone else began to yell louder, picking up the cheer. With an effort, Yang made her way to Blake and Weiss, her breathing coming fast and hard inside her helmet, adrenaline finally catching up with her.

“‘I usually run a 10.2.’ You _liar_ ,” Weiss mocked her, pushing the cash into Yang’s hands. She stuffed it into her coat pocket, zipping it up and shrugging.

“What can I say, I surprise myself.”

“I _bet_. Sheesh, if I’d realized you were going to humiliate the rest of them, I would have set you up with better opponents.”

“Beginner’s luck?” Yang laughed, looking over as the crowd jeered and shouted. None of her opponents had beaten the 10 second mark and they were all getting appropriate hell for it.

“9.7, huh? Not too bad.” A new voice spoke up and Yang turned, aware too late of someone touching her bike, poking into the hot machinery. “Think you can do it again?”

“Mercury, how many times have I told you--” The new guy cut her off with a shushing gesture, making her face go red and one foot stomp on the ground.

“Neo, how’s the bike?” The girl that had been poking into her Bumblebee stood up, nodding quickly. “How about it, then? Your bike against mine, winner gets both.”

Bet her Bumblebee? Not a chance in hell. But the way this asshole was looking at her… She wanted to wipe the smug smirk off his damn face. Yang pulled her helmet off, shaking her hair out before unzipping the front of her jacket. “What’re you riding? I don’t want to take some worthless piece of shit from you when I win.”

“Ooooh!” A crowd had gathered to hear their exchange, cheering and jeering at her words. This was the kind of trouble she wasn’t supposed to be causing, but it was also the kind she loved getting herself into. Besides, she could beat this prick.

His eyes moved up and down her assessingly, definitely lingering on her chest. Whatever, she could handle being eye candy and it’d make it that much better when she crushed him. “I’ll meet you at the start line. Weiss, cancel the next race. We’re going to give people a little head to head, instead.”

“Mercury, you can’t just--”

Mercury turned to Weiss, stepping closer and speaking lowly. She went pale for a moment, before her cheeks flared with renewed anger. “ _Fine_. Asshole…” Weiss turned, speaking to someone behind her, who started talking into a walkie-talkie.

Yang glanced at Blake, getting only a shrug. Well, she’d better get back to the start line. Time to prove an asshole wrong.

The crowd let them pass easily enough, the two soon lined up on the starting line. The same girl was there with the flag, looking between them with the slightest frown. Yang pulled her helmet back on, zipping up her jacket and looking over to the guy next to her. Mercury, huh? Sounded like a jerk’s name.

His bike looked good, though, and she felt a sudden twinge of nerves. No. She was fine. Even if she didn’t have another 9.7, if she could get her usual she’d be good. He couldn’t be _that_ much better.

 _He wouldn’t have challenged you if he wasn’t_ , her mind whispered and she shoved the thought away. She was _not_ losing Bumblebee. Over her dead body.

The flag dropped and she took off, trying to keep her focus only on the finish line, trying to repeat her performance. He wasn’t in front of her, she knew that much. But he also wasn’t far behind, she could feel it, feel him breathing down her neck, thirsty for the win. Yang didn’t dare take her eyes off the prize, pushed herself and her bike just a little harder. She could do this. She could…

See silver to her side, gleaming chrome, getting closer. It was him, speeding up as they passed under the second traffic light, passing her as they approached the third light, the finish line. No… No! She couldn’t lose to him!

Yang saw his taillights and then his brakes were lighting up bright red as he hit the finish line, her acceleration bringing her across a solid bike length behind him. “Fuck… Fuck!” Yang punched a fist into her thigh, the adrenaline waning. She’d lost… She’d lost her Bumblebee. There was no way she was giving up her baby. Not to this prick.

The crowd was swelling around her and still somehow he managed to get in next to her without her seeing, still somehow he managed to put his hands on her bike. “It’s not bad, but I guess I’m just better.”

“You _asshole_ !” Yang shoved him off, flipping her visor up. “What the fuck was _that_?”

“That was how racing works, blondie. Learn a thing or two.” Mercury seemed unphased, brushing himself off and stepping over to her again, one boot resting on her exhaust pipe. “I expect to see a babe in my chop shop tomorrow morning… And I guess you can come, too.”

She was on the receiving end of the jeering this time, her cheeks burning with anger. There was no way she was letting him part up her Bumblebee, betting be damned. She’d give up her honor before she’d give up her bike. “Oh, we’ll be there.”

“The princess can get you the address and--”

“Cops!” The shout interrupted anything more, the crowd freezing in panic for a moment before scattering. Yang briefly saw Mercury hop on his bike, stop next to a handful of other people. Two of them--the girl that had been touching her bike earlier and some guy with red hair--got into a car, another girl with mint green hair on a bike driving away next to Mercury. Then Blake was beside her, shouting an address and taking off, Weiss’ white coat billowing out behind them as they left, her arms wrapped tight around Blake’s midsection.

Yang left while things were still hectic, cutting through side streets and disappearing into the night. She circled back after a bit, found the address Blake had given her and parked outside next to Blake’s bike. It was an apartment complex, though she hadn’t been given a unit number and had no way to actually get in touch with Blake to say she was there…

“Yang! Hang on, I’ll be right down!” Blake’s voice from above, Yang glancing up in time to see a window shut. There was light behind it, shifting shadows and a minute later Blake opened the complex door, holding it for her and leading her inside. “Was worried the cops caught you.”

“Not a chance. I just wanted to make sure it was clear before coming back… Didn’t want to lead them here.”

“Weiss’ money can only keep them away for so long… But at least we got a few good races tonight… Oh.” Blake looked down, rocking on her heels. “I… thought you could take him. Thought you’d knock him down a peg.”

“Me, too.” Yang frowned as the elevator opened, letting Blake lead the way to an apartment. There were a few people there, mostly drinking beers and eating snacks. Blake grabbed two drinks, handing her one and pointing around the room. “That’s Jaune and Pyrrha, Nora, Ren… You met Weiss…”

“Hey,” the blond guy, Jaune, waved. “Nice driving tonight.”

“I thought for sure you’d _crush_ Mercury!” Nora added, bouncing in her seat. “If you want, I can break his legs for you so he can’t use your bike?”

“Nora.” Ren tilted his head back, looking at Yang for a moment before smiling. “You can always win it back.”

“Or someone else could…” Pyrrha added, moving just a bit closer to Jaune on the couch and patting the spot next to her.

Yang took the invitation, taking a handful of chips when the bowl was passed her way. “I’ll see what happens… There’s no way I’m letting him part up my baby, even _if_ he technically has the title to her now… But I’ll figure something out.”

Conversation ebbed and flowed around the room for more than an hour, mostly about the races that night. Mostly about the last race, and while Yang was never going to be able to lose graciously, she did feel better having someone feel down with her. It was almost three by the time she left, just enough time to go home, pass out for a few hours, and go to work.

Yang caught Weiss before she left, however, sighing. “Might as well get it over with. Asshole said you have the address to his shop where I can bring my bike?”

“Hm? Oh, uh… What’s your number? I’ll text it to you in the morning, it’s somewhere on my computer.”

“Asking for my number at your girlfriend’s place? Bold.” Yang smiled, taking Weiss’ phone and putting her number in. She started to hand it back before the name she’d put there caught her eye, snatching the phone back. “Oh, wait, mistyped. Uh… here.” She’d almost put _Yang Xiao Long_. So much for being under cover. Then again, this hardly felt like a secret life, more… what she could have had if she’d…

It was late and her mind was too many places at once.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Blake! Nice to meet you, Weiss.”

“Take care.”

The streets were quiet as she drove home, feeling her bike purr under her thighs. There was no way. No way at all.

Yang grabbed her lockbox from under the bed of her small apartment, dragging it out and unlocking it, pulling out her work cell phone. She powered it on, dialing quickly. “This is Officer Xiao Long, badge number 2-4-1-1-0. I’m going to need some things…”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amazing [dropthegraceart](http://dropthegraceart.tumblr.com) over on tumblr made an equally amazing picture for this story! [Check it out!](http://dropthegraceart.tumblr.com/post/160592180548/a-gift-i-made-for-mercuryxblack-in-celebration-of)

“That’s not your bike.”

“Yeah, it is.” Yang grit her teeth, keeping her eyes on Mercury’s. There was no way he could tell, she’d gotten an exact replica of her Bumblebee. Costly, sure, but worth it to not lose her baby.

“Neo.” The petite girl from last night sauntered across the oily garage, crouching down and running her fingers over the metal of the bike, slipping them into small cracks between moving parts. After a moment she stood, shaking her head and whipping her dual-colored pigtails back and forth. “Told you so.”

“What the hell was that?”

“She put a tag in there last night, just in case you got any clever ideas like this. So, blondie…” Mercury stepped closer and Yang glanced over her shoulder, aware too late that two others had blocked her in from behind. The ginger guy from last night and the girl with green hair. “You can either bring your bike to me… Or you can get acquainted with the business end of my wrench.”

“You _tagged_ my bike?” New outrage kept the growing fear at bay, but just barely. “What, ‘property ready to steal’? What would you have done if I won last night?”

“You didn’t win. You didn’t even come close. Now, which is it gonna be?” He was closer to her, too close, a wrench in one hand tapping lightly against the side of his leg. Yang swallowed. Illegal street racing, sure, that was a crime, but these people were _actual_ criminals and all sorts of awful possibilities danced through her head.

“Mercury,” a new voice spoke up from the doorway and everyone turned, eyes on a woman who didn’t at all look like she belonged in a garage. Her heels clicked across the floor as she crossed the room, fingers trailing over the bike Yang had brought in. “Are you making trouble?”

“No… Just getting what’s owed to me.” Most of the aggression had gone out of his voice and Yang dared to relax a fraction.

“What is it that’s owed to you?”

“Blondie here bet her bike on a race and lost. Tried to bring in a lookalike, as if we wouldn’t notice.” Mercury mouthed the word ‘lookalike’ again before biting his lip, and Yang swore for a second she could hear him saying ‘lookabike’ instead.

“I see…” She turned, looking among the group slowly. “Well… Does it serve the same purpose?”

“Cinder, that’s not the point--”

“Answer the question, Mercury.”

Mercury took a step back, his jaw clenching for a moment. “Assuming it has the same equipment, it’s the same frame and even the same colors, so. It’s technically identical in that regard.”

“Then it doesn’t matter which one she brought, does it?”

“It… No. It doesn’t matter.” Mercury turned, walking back into the depths of the garage. Cinder nodded slightly, walking around Yang’s bike and up a short flight of stairs. After a moment the other three got moving, the green-haired girl following Cinder while Neo crouched down by Yang’s copy bike and began to really paw through it.

A hand settled on her shoulder and she flinched, whipping around. Redheaded guy. She’d almost forgotten him. “If it’s not the same, we’ll find you. But if it is…” He shrugged. “We’ll probably still find you because you pissed off Mercury _and_ Neo. So don’t go too far out of town, yeah?”

“Sheesh, what are you, cops?” She shoved him off, stalking back towards the door. “It’s the same. I keep two in case one gets busted… Or stolen.”

“Isn’t stealing if you agree to the terms.” He shrugged, looking over as Neo approached. She leaned up, speaking quietly into his ear for a moment. “Right, right, got it… Don’t leave the party just yet, blondie. Neo here wants you to help her take the bike apart.” She elbowed him and he made a face. “And wants me to introduce myself. Name’s Roman Torchwick.”

“What? That was never part of the deal! And the name’s Yang, not ‘blondie’.”

“Looks like it is now. You should feel honored, really. She hardly ever wants someone else touching things when she does.”

Yang glanced at her watch, crossing the garage and crouching down. “Okay… so what’s up?”

Neo pointed and after a moment Yang got it, getting to work disassembling the steering system while the other girl worked on the brakes. If the department had gotten even one thing wrong she was a goner, but she’d given very specific instructions.

Getting into the rhythm of it was easy, disassembling and laying out system after system, and Yang wasn’t even aware when Mercury joined them, looking over each component and putting notes into a tablet. Roman stood watching nearby, being pulled in every now and then by Neo to speak for her but otherwise keeping his hands clean. By the time the bike was reassembled, the sun was setting, giving the entire garage an orange glow.

Mercury shoved a printed list into Yang’s hands, his gaze still harsh on her. “These are the upgraded parts we’re putting in. Get them from White Fang with your employee discount.”

“Hey, this baby is your problem now, you buy the upgrades--”

“Just do it. Consider it the cost of keeping your legs after the stunt you tried to pull.” He stretched, spine popping loudly. “Come back tomorrow at the same time with whatever you manage to buy.”

“If I come down on my bike are you going to steal it?”

“Only if Cinder changes her mind.” He looked at the bike next to them, frowning. “You rode this down here today--”

“Duh.”

“--and it didn’t look like yours. You didn’t sit on it the same. I knew what you were trying to pull even before Neo checked. This isn’t a back up, it’s a brand new build that you somehow put together in twelve hours.”

“Am I supposed to be impressed?”

“You are or you aren’t. Either way, do you need a ride somewhere?”

It was at least a ten mile walk back to her place, and this neighborhood wasn’t exactly high end. A ride would be nice. More time with Mercury, however, would not. “I think I’ll walk.”

Mercury laughed shortly, shoving the helmet she’d worn over into her hands. “Come on. I’ll even follow most traffic laws.”

She pulled the helmet on, grabbing her jacket and zipping it up quickly. “Follow traffic laws? Boring.”

Of course she knew what ‘a ride’ meant. Of course she did. She just didn’t quite… conceptualize it until he’d wheeled the bike out, swung one leg over and gestured to the spot behind him. Yang got on, moving close and pressing her chest to his back, arms wrapping around his midsection. He was warm, she could feel him even though the layers of jacket they both wore, and she only hoped he couldn’t feel the way her heart had started pounding in her chest.

“You wanna give me an address or…?”

Address. Right. She should do that. She should… “Why don’t we do something fun, first? Maybe something to eat?”

Mercury nodded, facing forward and starting the bike up, pulling out of the garage. The streets were busy with cars and trucks and he darted between them expertly, facing down death every other second it seemed. Yang found herself holding on tighter, her heart pounding harder. Not from fear, she drove the same way, but from the rush of it. The _life_ of it.

When they finally stopped she was only mildly disappointed, dismounting with him and putting her helmet next to his on the seat. She shook her hair out and unzipped her jacket, finally looking up at where they were. _Shrimp ‘N’ Sand_ , a small food stand next to a pavilion, the beach just across the busy road. She followed Mercury up to the counter, still grinning as he ordered. “You want anything special?”

“Nah, whatever’s good.”

They sat at one of the tables, food spread out between them and conversation surprisingly easy. Mostly about her, the manufactured life she’d led before now. When she ran out of bullshit, she settled more comfortably in her seat, eyes on him. “So… That stuff with the wrench earlier, was that all show? Or should I be texting Blake where to look for my body?”

“Hmm… Little of one, little of the other. I would have had to rough you up, just for the sake of reputation. But it’s in the past, Cinder decided that you kept your bargain well enough, and with some work that bike is actually going to be worth something… Assuming it has a decent rider.” His gray eyes watched her face, seeming to search for something. “Have you ever run better than a 9.7?”

“No.” Honesty wouldn’t hurt at this point. “Last night was only the second time in my life I’ve done it.”

“Do you want to?”

“Duh.” Who wouldn’t? Even an afternoon with him, she knew they were cut from similar cloth. Getting to the end of the next quarter mile in less time was always the goal. “But I don’t think Bumblebee has what it takes…” Or she didn’t.

“With some work, you could. I’ve done a 9.4 a few times.”

“Bullshit.”

“Not at all. Ask anyone on the scene. There’s a reason the princess won’t let me race.” He smiled, taking the last uneaten shrimp off her plate and turning it in his fingers before taking a bite. “I’m just saying… If you keep coming back, working on that bike with us… It’d be… nice to have someone actually in my league.”

“You know, cockiness isn’t actually charming.” Yang smiled, letting her foot just barely touch his under the table. “I’ll be back after work tomorrow. And every day this week. Assuming your modifications don’t make me bankrupt.”

“Just crush a few more people on the night scene if you need extra money.”

She could have had him drive her home after that, but the beach was right there and the sunset was minutes away. So they walked, they talked, and in the moonlight with the waves coming in she let him kiss her.

* * *

“You _what_?!”

“I kind of dread to ask, but… Which part?” Yang sat back in her chair, eyes on her dad. She’d been pulled in for a debrief, and supposedly Qrow was on his way, too.

“There’s more than just the funds for an _entire new bike_?”

“There’s also this,” there was Qrow, walking in the door and tossing a glossy eight-by-ten onto the table. Black and white didn’t stop the image from being perfectly clear, her and Mercury kissing on the beach. “Christ, Firecracker, you’re supposed to get information, not laid.”

“I’m getting _in_ with the suspects. I’m already part of the scene, now all I have to do is figure out who in it is robbing the trucks. And I was _not_ going to let them have Bumblebee, Dad. You told me funds allocation was ready to outfit me with a new ride, I just… delayed it a bit.” Besides, she’d thrown _some_ of her own money into that one.

Tai and Qrow exchanged a look, but there wasn’t much they could say about it. “Okay… so if you’re in, tell us what you know,” Qrow finally said, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

Yang started from her first day at White Fang, meeting Blake and being introduced to the race scene. The kinds of people she’d seen there, what they had. “I’m going to start asking around some more, but there are a few groups to watch out for. Mercury’s is one of them. He also has a girl named Neo, a guy named Roman Torchwick, and two other girls, named Emerald and Cinder. I didn’t get last names for anyone but Roman, but if they’re all tied together…”

“We have files on all of them except Neo. Small stuff, mostly, but violent. The woman, Cinder Fall, did hard time and just recently got out. Second degree murder, but they dropped it to involuntary manslaughter after two years.” Qrow pushed a tablet to her, nodding. “There’s not a lot on Mercury before the age of eighteen, but… There are some sealed records that I can unseal if you think it’s necessary.”

“I don’t think so. They seem more interested in bikes than anything else.” She flipped through the names, trying to remember her conversations from the night of the race. “Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. All four of them aren’t very well-liked, not sure why. But Blake says that they race dirty, so… why not steal, too? I’m going to look into it more next week, ask around.”

“At least it’s a start,” Tai sighed, leaning over the table and looking towards the window. “Just stay safe, okay? Don’t get yourself in too deep.”

“I know what I’m doing.” Of course she did. First undercover job or not, she was still a professional.

So why did that feel like a lie?

* * *

It was dangerous, of course. Letting someone else into their lives like that. Emerald would rip him up one side and down the other for it, as would Roman and Neo. And Cinder was already mad at him, so who knew what she’d do.

It didn’t stop Mercury from thinking about her, though. Her lips on his, aggressive and wanting, not at all the slow and sensual kisses of movies. Her body pressing tight to his on the bike as they drove through the streets, arms around his waist holding on and urging him to go faster.

At her apartment she’d hesitated, almost like she wanted to invite him up. Mercury left before she could make up her mind.

He drove long into the night, circling out of the city and following the highway up the coast. Salt air whipped at his clothes and when he finally pulled off at a rest area and stood looking down at the ocean crashing into rocks below, he could still taste her lips on his.

Dangerous, but he liked danger. He wouldn’t be where he was if he didn’t.

It was almost dawn when he got back, climbing the stairs to his room and falling into bed, too tired to even pull his clothes off. Someone would wake him up around noon, or at least check to make sure he wasn’t dead. That was good enough.

* * *

Blake shook her head, looking over the list Mercury had given Yang. “You realize that you only bet your bike, right? I mean… You don’t _have_ to fix it up for him, too.”

“I kinda do. I mean, the bike I brought over wasn’t the one I raced on--what are you doing?”

Blake pulled her hand back from poking Yang’s arm, her smile only a little sheepish. “Making sure I’m not actually talking to a ghost. You tried to fuck over _Mercury Black_?” She lowered her voice, looking around the shop. “Listen, there’s a reason Weiss won’t let him race…”

“Because his times are crushingly, humiliatingly better than anyone else out here?”

“Because he once took a wrench to a guy’s legs for beating him in a race.”

Yang’s stomach dropped. So that threat with the wrench hadn’t been just a bluff. Sure, he’d told her as much, but she’d still thought it could have been an act. “Christ… Well, I don’t want to piss him off. Or any of them, for that matter. I should probably just get the stuff and keep going back, you know?”

“Or cut and run.”

“I don’t run away from a challenge. Even when I should.”

Blake shrugged. “Your funeral. I’ll be sure to send flowers.”

The two changed conversation as they worked, pulling down parts for Yang’s bike and putting in requests for things White Fang didn’t have. It wasn’t a bad friendship, one she would certainly miss when this was over. Still, Blake’s warning about Mercury had her nervous. There wasn’t anything like that in any police records. Surely someone would have put in a report… Maybe it was in the sealed records?

It was after work, getting on their bikes to leave that Yang remembered the question she’d been meaning to ask. “Hey, Blake…”

“What’s up?” Blake held her helmet posed over her head, long legs straddling her bike.

“Why does Mercury call Weiss ‘the princess,’ anyway? I mean, I guess she kinda looks like one, but…”

Blake snorted a laugh, shaking her head. “She, uh… She’s in line to be the next CEO of Schnee Engines. Though if her dad knew what she spent her free time doing… Or who… Anyways, since it’s sort of an… open secret, she gets a lot of grief for it from some people.”

Yang stilled for a moment, the literal last answer she expected. “Wait… _That_ Schnee Engines, the Schnee Engines that sponsors the pro circuit?”

“One and the same.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, fingers tapping on her handlebars. “Things are also… Complicated, with the inheritance thing. People who don’t approve of nepotism even though Weiss is more than qualified… And…” She looked around the parking lot, checking if anyone was listening. Of course not, no one else was even out there. “Her little brother also really wants that CEO position and is… pretty ruthless. Most people don’t know that part. The racing is just… a bit of an open secret, like I said.” Blake pulled her helmet on, starting her bike up and driving off with a wave.

That was a lot to swallow, and not a lot of time to think about it. Yang shook herself out after a moment, following suit, heading north towards Mercury’s garage. Blake’s words kept echoing in her head, but… There had to be more to the story than that. There was no way he’d break someone’s legs just for beating him in a race.

She wouldn’t believe it until she had to.

The garage was empty, almost eerily silent. Yang frowned as she pulled up alongside it, pulling her helmet off and walking towards the wide open door. “Uh, hello?” No answer but her own voice. Creepy.

Her bike was still there, though, set up in one of the work areas. Yang shrugged, starting to bring in the equipment she’d purchased at work, setting it out on a tarp next to the bike. It was easy work, rhythmic, and she wasn’t even aware when someone else came into the shop until they cleared their throat.

Yang jumped, whipping around and staring. The green-haired girl, the one that had disappeared with Cinder yesterday. Emerald. “Uh, hi?”

“What are you doing here?”

“Mercury told me to buy these parts for my bike and bring them back, so… I’m… Doing that.” The accusatory tone had her on edge, wondering if she should have left and come back when someone was there.

“Well, you dropped it off. Now go.”

“I thought--”

“Emerald!” Mercury stepped into the garage, pulling off his helmet and looking between the two of them with a frown. “It’s fine.”

“It’s _not_ fine. You won the bike, you didn’t win free labor or parts or--” Her eyes cut from Mercury to Yang, eyebrows raising. “Or an easy fuck.”

“Hey, I’m not--” Yang huffed, crossing her arms. “What, are you jealous?”

“Ew, no. But you’re not needed here. Or wanted.” She took a step closer to Yang, eyes narrowed. “So just go.”

“Emerald, will you chill out? She’s cool.”

“You don’t even _know_ her.”

“Yeah, and there was a time I didn’t know _you_ \--”

“When we were _ten_!”

Things were getting heated. She should go, let them sort it out, maybe come back later or never or--

Neo ended the argument, slipping in quiet as a ghost, moving around Mercury and Emerald and putting herself close to Yang. She stood in front of Yang, her gaze locked on Emerald, then Mercury, firm and unwavering. Her hands moved, left palm open towards the ceiling, right hand coming down on it sharply.

“She started it,” Emerald muttered, met only with that gesture again. The green-haired girl threw up her hands, turning and walking away.

Neo looked to Mercury, her gaze still firm. Her hands moved again, a bit slower this time, _Done?_ , and Mercury sighed.

“Fine. I’ll talk to her about it tonight. Where’s Roman?” He stepped closer, watching Neo’s hands as they moved.

_Talking to Cinder_.

Mercury glanced at Yang, assessing, before returning his attention to Neo’s hands. “We’re gonna start on the bike. Wanna help?”

She finally cut her eyes away, nodding quickly and moving over, looking through the parts Yang had laid out. The tension seemed to dissolve and Yang turned to Mercury, smiling slightly. “I guess I’m not that popular, huh?”

“Emerald just doesn’t like change… She’ll come around. Eventually. What’d you manage to get?”

“Most of what you asked for. Some of it is on order for next week.” She moved to the bike with him, starting to take apart systems as directed by Neo’s gestures. They worked quietly, taking a break when Roman came in and Neo abandoned the project to go to him, pressing her face against his chest.

Yang sat up, wiping her forehead with one greasy hand and frowning. “Is she okay?”

“Arguing stresses her out… Which makes it kind of amazing that she spends any time around Emerald, really.” Mercury shrugged, watching Neo’s hands tap against Roman’s, her face still pressed to his chest. “She’s autistic, if that’s what you’re asking. The whole nonverbal, special interest, uh, stim thing. Likes people to know if they’re gonna spend time around her.”

“Oh… Yeah, okay. Anything I should avoid?”

“Arguing, so. Emerald. Otherwise you’re pretty good. Eye contact is iffy, it’s okay if she starts it, but don’t initiate. I mostly look at her hands, that’s fine. And helps when she’s talking to me because I’m real bad at sign language.” Mercury stood, stretching out and looking towards the back door. “Come on, we’ll take a break while she calms down. You hungry?”

Yang’s stomach rumbled and she stood, laughing. “Yeah, sure. Lead the way, I guess?”

They left via the back door, climbing a flight of rickety stairs onto the garage’s flat roof. There was a grill up there, along with a table and some chairs. Yang looked around with mild amusement at the set up, not really surprised when Mercury opened the door to the utility shed and revealed a mini-fridge. He tossed a couple of hamburger patties onto the grill, bringing over a plate with ketchup, mustard, and buns. “We’re out of cheese. God dammit.”

“You guys eat up here a lot?”

“Depends on the mood. But… I like it up here. The view is really something else.”

It was, too. Yang knew that the ground gradually sloped up as she went north, but from here she could see all the way south to downtown, high rises gleaming in the setting sun. To the east were the ever-present mountains, hazy in the evening. Further north the city continued on until it faded into nothing but a few roads leading towards other places. And to the west, over the landscape of low houses and occasional apartment buildings, the ocean blazed orange with the sunset. It really was something else.

“Emerald… really doesn’t like me much, does she?”

“She…” Mercury frowned, flipping the burgers over and keeping his back to her. “She’s worried. Always is when someone new shows up. Worried that she’ll be abandoned in favor of the new person, that that person will slowly take her place in everyone’s lives. I get it, we all have our issues, but her method is to scare them off before they can replace her.”

“I’m not trying to replace anyone.”

“I know. She knows it, too, on some level.” He joined her at the table, setting out the burgers on two plates. “Doesn’t mean she can help herself from feeling threatened, though.”

“I guess I get it. So... “ She ate as she talked, trying to choose her words carefully. “I was talking to Blake today, and she seems to think that it’s more than just your speed that makes Weiss hesitant to let you race.”

“That guy had it comin’.”

So he had done it. No police record. “Why?”

Rather than answer her, Mercury stood, moving to the edge of the roof. “Come on… I’ll show you something.”

Curiosity won over appetite quickly and Yang followed him back down the stairs, through a rough yard and to an older garage. Mercury ran the door up, stepping inside and turning on a dusty overhead light. He pulled an equally dusty sheet off a shape and Yang’s breath caught in her throat.

“Is that a Mantle? They don’t even _make_ those anymore…”

“Built her myself. Twice.” Mercury ran his fingers over the bike gently, a fond smile on his face. “I don’t ride her anymore, but she’s the original Quicksilver.”

“Why not?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, head tilted down. “I was an up-and-coming in the pro half mile when I was a teenager… Some people didn’t like that. Some people decided it’d be a good idea to make me crash on the turn… and some people that were friends with them decided to run my legs over.” He locked eyes with her, frowning. “Rebuilt my bike while I rebuilt my legs.”

“Your legs are…?”

“Prosthetics, yeah. Custom built and all that good shit.” Mercury covered the bike again, leaving the garage and heading back to the roof. Yang followed, trying to swallow the new information.

“So the guy that ‘had it coming’...?”

“Fucker tried to kill me. Tried to slam his bike into mine when we were racing. So I made sure he’d never do it to anyone else.” Mercury shrugged. “Make you nervous?”

“No, because I don’t race dirty. But I’ll keep in mind that you can take apart more than a bike with a wrench.” She stopped him from sitting back down at the table with a hand on his arm. “One more question, then. Am I just an ‘easy fuck’ like Emerald said? Or something else?”

Mercury turned and met her eyes, his face turning to a devilish grin. “Well, you aren’t easy, at least. Haven’t even gotten to have any real fun, yet.”

“Yet implies you think you will.”

“I see the way you look at me.”

She huffed out a breath, leaning in to kiss him briefly. “You mean the look that says I want to see you only in the glow of my taillights?”

“In your dreams, blondie.” He pulled her back for another kiss, mouth hot on hers, his eyes staying open and locked on hers. It was intense, likely to lead somewhere else if they weren’t careful, but who had time to think about that? Certainly not them.

Yang wasn’t even aware when they’d moved, when he’d gotten her onto the ground, his hands running over her clothes, hers touching bare skin. His shirt had come off at some point, her mouth leaving dark marks along his neck and collarbones. She arched into him as one hand pressed against her, rubbing through her jeans, her nails digging into his back and breath coming in hisses and gasps. “M… Mercury…”

“Hey!” They both froze, eyes darting to the stairs as footsteps began to climb up. “Clothes on, kids, it’s time to get back to work!” That was Roman’s voice, his footsteps on the stairs.

Mercury pulled away with a frown, grabbing his shirt off the table and putting it back on. “We were eating, asshole.” He pulled Yang up, adjusting his collar and smiling crookedly. “How’s Neo?”

Roman’s head appeared over the edge of the building, then the rest of him as he reached the top of the stairs. “Better. Back to work. Wasn’t as bad this time.” He grinned, one hand lifting and touching his neck lightly. “Nice bruise, boy wonder.”

Yang flushed, though Mercury just laughed it off. “Shut up, Roman. Let’s get back to work.”

It was easy, she reflected, moving down the stairs and back to the garage. Hanging out with them, spending time with Mercury… She liked it. Blake probably didn’t have the full story, was all. She wasn’t in any real danger. And while she hadn’t spent time around Cinder and Emerald, Mercury, Neo, and Roman seemed fine. Whatever suspicions the cops had about them had to be off.

They weren’t a good information source, Blake and her friends were better for that, but they were good company. It was a fair trade.

* * *

Manicured nails ran through her hair, sending shivers up and down her spine in slow waves. Her eyes closed, body leaning into the other woman slightly. “Mmm…”

“Tell me what you know about her.”

Emerald let out a slow breath, her eyes opening again. Of course she couldn’t just relax, just enjoy the moment and pretend… “Yang Branwen. Petty crimes, illegal street racing. Moved around a lot.”

“Branwen?”

“Our best guess is that she’s an admirer, not related. It’s definitely a name she chose, not one she was born with.” Her head tilted back, eyes on Cinder’s. “Mercury trusts her.”

“Does he?”

“I think so.”

“And does that put us at risk…?”

Emerald breathed slowly, choosing her words carefully. “I think… It could. We should plant something… See what happens afterwards.”

“You’ve thought about this.”

“I like to plan ahead.” Emerald smiled, letting herself be pulled in for a kiss. “Cardin Winchester might make a good scapegoat.”

“Mm… Then make it happen.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Your customer, Yang,” Blake’s voice in her ear before the other girl disappeared into the back of the shop.

Yang looked up from the inventory she’d been searching, putting on her best ‘customer service smile’. “Hey there. What can I do for ya today?”

“Yeah, hey.” Three seconds of cleavage staring. She really should button her shirt more. Or less. “I need some parts for my car, uh, four of each of these.” He handed her a list and Yang skimmed it, nodding.

“Four of each? Might take us a couple of days. Here, lemme open an account for you… Can I get a name?”

“Russel Thrush.”

“Alright… and a phone number on that?” She went through the process, name, number, address. Method of payment. “Do you want to put any other names on this for the pick up? I’ll just need to see their ID when they come in to get it.”

“Yeah, you can put Cardin Winchester on there, too.”

“Winchester… Got it. We’ll give you a call when it’s all together, okay?”

“Sure.”

She smiled, leaning over the counter just a bit. “You have a nice day, now.” Below the counter she pulled a flash drive from her pocket, slipping it into the computer’s USB port. As soon as Thrush left, she copied the information over to the drive, pulling it out and putting it back into her pocket.

“I don’t know how you manage that so well.” Blake was back, looking over the order. “That guy gives me the creeps. Though Cardin’s worse.”

“They’re gonna stare at my tits no matter what, so… Might as well not let it bother me. Didn’t I beat the tar out of him at a race the other day, anyways?”

“Think so. God, they’re doing desert races this year? Dumbasses.” Blake made a face, checking the order against the inventory. “You going out to the desert?”

“Depends, what is it? I don’t really do car stuff.” Yang watched over Blake’s shoulder, picking up the pull list when it printed.

“It’s mostly cars, but there’s some bike stuff. A lot of people from the scene go out there to have some fun without the cops interfering.” She glanced over her shoulder, smiling slyly. “Bet your boyfriend will be there.”

“Ugh, Blake, he’s definitely not my boyfriend. Yet.” Yang shoved her lightly, shrugging. “Is it public, or invitation only?”

“Definitely not public, but I’m sure they’d let you in if you showed up. Especially on that new bike you’ve been building up at Mercury’s.” Blake shoved her back, pulling engine parts from the shelf. “Assuming he lets you ride it.”

“He said he was gonna. Either way, I think I’ll try to get out there.”

* * *

Mercury closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. “You’re sure?”

“Cinder is.”

“When does she want me to move on this?”

“As soon as you can.” Emerald stretched her arms over her head, spine crackling. “She said not to worry about… repercussions from extreme measures.”

“When do I ever?” He got back to work, sliding under the junk car and cursing under his breath. “Assholes don’t know how to take care of their machines…”

Unseen, Emerald smiled. So far, so good.

* * *

The data was good, but even Yang knew it wasn’t quite enough. “I don’t have a tire match, but four identical cars that all match? Come on.”

“I dunno, kiddo…” On the phone, Taiyang sighed. “I need _something_ illegal here before I can make a move. Owning four cars isn’t exactly a crime.”

“Four cars that match the ones the truckers have described?”

“Still technically legal.”

“Damn… Well, maybe I can sneak into the garage. Blake mentioned something about them probably going to desert races… and that Mercury would be there. Maybe I can sneak into their garage with him under the guise of getting information about what they’ll be bringing to the desert. Verify the cars from there. Inside information from a cop would be enough, right?” She looked around, though she knew her apartment was empty.

“As long as looking at cars is _all_ you do with him.”

“ _Dad_.”

“Sorry, sorry. I actually more meant… Don’t get yourself into a dangerous situation, okay?”

“Undercover looking for criminals is already a dangerous situation, but… I’ll be careful.”

“Then do it. We want this case closed as soon as possible.”

Authorization granted, Yang ended the call. She shut the police line off and put it back in her lockbox, grabbing her other phone instead and putting it in her pocket. Time to see if she could pull this off.

* * *

"Winchester?”

“Well, not in person, but his name was on it…” Yang shrugged, the empty garage making her words seem louder. “I was thinking tonight, you and I could go take a little look at what they’re bringing to the desert… You’re going, right?”

“Blake tell you about that?” Mercury wiped his hands off on a greasy cloth, looking to the clock over the door. “Sure, we can go do that. Not a lot of point in working without Neo, she’ll just get mad at us for doing it without her. Better wait until after dark, though.”

“So…” Yang moved closer, her smile sly. “How should we kill the time?”

Mercury slid an arm around her waist, pulling her body tight to his. “I have an idea.” He led her out of the garage, across the street and to one of the houses in the crumbling cul de sac. “No one else is--”

“Sup, assholes.” Emerald’s voice cut him off, her head tilting back over the back of the couch to look at them.

Mercury frowned. “I thought you and Cinder were going shopping today.”

“Were. We finished.” Emerald shrugged, tilting her head back to the TV and resuming her game.

“Well… We can hang out--”

“Is that Mario Kart?” Yang cut him off, moving to the couch and leaning over the back of it. “Oh man, I haven’t played this since I was a kid… Looks the same as it did then, actually.”

Behind her, Mercury sighed, moving to the couch and settling a hand on her back. His fingers tensed, however, as Emerald’s character crossed the finish line and a time was displayed. “Have you been just… Oh, you _asshole_.” Mercury vaulted over the couch, picking up a second controller from the ground. “You’ve been beating my times?!”

“Duh. C’mon, let’s race. Blondie, grab a controller and a seat.” Emerald moved over to make room, backing up to the first options menu and selecting a three-player race.

It was a ruckus, of course, all three racers highly competitive as they banana peeled and blue shelled their way to victory against the field and--much more importantly--each other. When Roman and Neo came in halfway through the fourth race, it was like walking into a bomb defusal, all three on the couch tensed, shoulders hunched, fingers working the controllers with expertise.

“Good god, it’s just a vid--are you racing my Koopa? You better do it proud, blondie!” Roman leaned over the back of the couch, his focus intent on the player three screen Yang was racing on. Neo joined him, frowning thoughtfully at the television. She tapped his arm, signing quickly.

 _I’m in next game_.

“Alright, I’ll take the loser’s spot after the four of you race, then.”

“Victory!” Emerald shouted, jumping up as she crossed the finish line. “Suck it, both of you! Hey, Roman, hey, Neo.”

“Piece of shit player two controller…” Mercury huffed, looking over his shoulder and grinning. “Hey guys. Fun day?”

“Fun.” Roman agreed, moving around the couch to a chair, letting Neo settle into his lap and pick up a controller. “C’mon, switch to four player and we’ll rotate out the loser.”

“Working on it, working on it…”

They passed the controllers around as they raced, Yang settling in more comfortably, the tension of the job melting away for the first time since Russel Thrush had walked into the store. It was like being with friends--more than that, like being with family. Even Emerald seemed to have warmed up to her, teasing and being teased, the competition remaining friendly even when she lost.

“Childish…” Cinder walked into the room, her quiet word cutting short victory cheers. She sighed, sitting down in the other available chair and putting her feet up. “I don’t know how you can all enjoy that.”

“Well, _someone’s_ no good at Mario Kart…” Yang muttered, aware too late of the spark that comment ignited.

“Emerald, give me the controller.”

Emerald handed it over with a smirk, her eyes on Yang. “Sure thing.”

Okay, she might have made a mistake here.

Cinder worked quickly, setting up a one on one race, of course for the hardest track in the game. More than that, on the hardest difficulty, 150cc mirror. Yang reassessed, deciding maybe she _was_ good at Mario Kart.

“Choose your character,” Cinder grit out, selecting her player and kart. She tapped a finger impatiently as Yang made her choice, sitting forward in the chair. “You are about to regret ever opening your mouth.”

It was almost as tense as her race with Mercury the other night, possibly moreso in some ways. This wasn’t just for fun, wasn’t just a gamble. She had something to prove here.

At least, that was what Yang assumed until they started racing. She kept her attention on her screen, fingers adjusting to the mirrored course, only vaguely aware of how Cinder was doing. A one on one match with no CPUs technically made things easier, at least for her. The only thing she had to worry about was Cinder getting items that would completely wreck her.

The final lap music sang out as Yang crossed the finish line for the second time, her focus narrowing. Rainbow Road was a long course and this version didn’t have any shortcuts she could take advantage of. When she crossed the finish line in first she sat back with a sigh, finally looking at Cinder’s side of the screen.

Her character was facing a wall, wheels spinning uselessly. Cinder cussed under her breath, finally backing up, only to hit a boost and go flying off the track. “Ugh, this game is garbage!”

“You’re… really not good at this…” Yang smiled, shaking her head. “It’s definitely different from real racing, though. Way more with the thumbs.”

“I don’t need your pity…” Cinder huffed, crossing her arms and cancelling the race, handing the controller back to Emerald.

They went back to the game as the sun set, even Cinder soon getting into cheering, though she waved off any offers to play. Video games were definitely not her forte.

* * *

The tires were a match. It was all she needed, but Yang moved around the dark garage anyways, walking slowly to make sure she didn’t trip over anything, hooded flashlight tracing over cars. They were a perfect match…

And moreso, she could see stacks of electronics in the back. Blu-Ray players, game consoles, TVs… She took a slow breath, closing her eyes for a moment.

“Nothing to worry about.” Mercury’s voice at her side made her jump, his hand on her hip. “They’re nowhere near here.”

“Yeah…” Yang breathed a little easier, moving to one of the cars and slipping her hand under the hood. “Wanna take a look at what they have besides what they ordered from us?”

“Sure.” Mercury joined her, lifting the hood after she unlatched it. They both ran their flashlights over the engine, equal frowns. “Nothing?”

“That’s--”

An approaching sound cut her off, high-pitched whine of a bike. Yang and Mercury exchanged a look, quickly dropping the hood and moving to the back of the garage. They killed their flashlights just as the lights came on, garage doors opening up. Beside her, Mercury pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants.

There was no escape now, they’d just have to hope to not be seen… With a lot of luck.

The bikes stopped into the garage, the sound of someone hitting the floor. Yang dared a glance between two rows of tires, her eyes widening. Young male, white-blond hair, rumpled but fancy clothes. He looked like--

“You think this is _funny_ , Schnee?” Cardin’s voice both interrupted and confirmed her thought, his foot pressing against the slim man’s chest. Whitley Schnee, younger brother of Weiss, the one Blake had told her about. “What’re engines selling for, hm? Two grand? Three?”

“I can assure you--”

Cardin pressed down harder, cutting off the words into a choked whine. “Do you know what’s under the hood of my car right now?”

“I--”

Behind them, Russel opened the hood Yang and Mercury had previously looked at, revealing the gaping emptiness within. “Nothing!”

“Shipping delays!” The man on the floor managed to gasp it out, his hands grabbing the boot pressed against his chest and trying to shove it off.

“Shipping delays… On parts I ordered months ago? Don’t play dumb with me, Schnee.” One of the others--Dove Bronzewing or Sky Lark, she didn’t know--stepped forward with a gun. Add illegal weapons possession, most likely. “My engines will be here tomorrow, won’t they?”

“Yes!”

“With a… How would your father phrase it? A delay compensation?”

“I can’t--” He choked on the words again and Cardin leaned down, a sinister smile on his face.

“Figure it out.”

Yang relaxed a hair as Cardin stepped off him, though she could still feel Mercury’s tension beside her. They’d have to figure out how to get out, but--

“Oh, and Schnee?” Cardin was back as the other man started to sit up, one hand closing on a fistful of hair. “You know I don’t like to be fucked with, right?” He threw him back to the floor, head connecting with the concrete with a sickly thud.

She’d seen enough. More than enough. She may not have ever met Whitley, but she knew Weiss, liked Weiss, and seeing her younger brother go through that wasn’t something she needed. Yang eased back and looked to Mercury, one hand pressed to her mouth. He held up a finger, signal to wait.

It took almost ten minutes of silence from them before the bikes started up again, before the garage went dark. They waited another five before easing out, both aware of the stain on the floor that wasn’t there before. It wasn’t blood, one small relief, but watching a man be doused in motor oil and almost--almost, thank god--lit on fire was still something she’d rather not remember.

* * *

Authorize the raid. Wait for results. Hope no one would make the connection.


	5. Chapter 5

This was it, everything her training had led up to. She took a breath, feeling the cling of the face mask, the weight of the helmet. The undercover operative had provided enough information for them to move, now it was time.

Ruby closed her eyes for a second, exhaling slowly and looking at the others around her. None of them seemed nervous, and no surprise. She was the newest on the SWAT team, the youngest, and the least experienced. And there were _still_ rumors floating around that her dad had gotten her the position.

“You ready?” Sun’s voice at her shoulder, his hand patting her back lightly. She glanced at her squad leader, squaring her shoulders and nodding.

“Yes, sir.”

“Hey, you’re not in training anymore. No more ‘sir’ needed.” Under the mask he grinned, even the dense black fabric not keeping his bright disposition at bay. “Besides, it makes me feel old.”

Scarlet had finished setting the breach on the door and stepped back, signalling for the explosives team to blow it. The muted _pop_ of a breach charge and they rushed forward, into the house, closing in on the room. One, two, three, four people sitting on couches, starting to jump up. Neptune and Sage moved forward, shouting orders to get on the ground, quickly zip tying the two that complied. A third man ran to the rear door, met by the secondary team and brought down by Yatsuhashi.

The fourth, Cardin Winchester according to their intelligence, made for the open window and Ruby moved without forethought, ran after him and followed him out. She hit the ground and rolled, got on top of him and pinned him down before he could regain his feet. “Cuffs!” She shouted back towards the house, not letting up until someone had bound the man’s hands behind his back. “Thanks, Velvet.”

The brunette specialist smiled, nodding. “You’re crazy, Ruby, but good job. How’s it feel to have completed your first operation?”

“Let’s get them to the station before we call it complete… But it feels good.”

The armored truck was ready to go, Coco calling in their completion and ETA for the police station. They’d book in the suspects and start the process. And hopefully their undercover agent would be able to be extracted. She didn’t like the idea of her sister being in with criminal types for any longer than absolutely necessary.

* * *

Emerald grit her teeth, turning to Mercury. He wasn’t allowed to look nonchalant about this, not with what had happened that morning. “She’s a _cop_.”

“Bullshit.”

“You brought a fucking _cop_ into our lives!”

“You can’t prove that.” The tablet that was shoved into his hands, news article with four mugshots lighting up the screen, said otherwise. Cardin Winchester and his buddies, arrested on illegal weapons possession charges less than twelve hours ago. “It could be a coincidence. None of them are subtle.”

“‘A source inside the police department says they are “likely connected with other crimes,” though wouldn’t comment on the nature of those crimes.’ _How_ coincidental does that sound? What did you tell her about what I told you the other day?”

“I didn’t say anything about the trucks, if that’s what you’re asking. She said that they were in to buy parts for desert races, I asked if she wanted to do a little… Competitive investigation. Checked the warehouse while we were in there, none of it matched up with our targets.” Mercury handed the tablet back, shaking his head. “She’s not a cop. Don’t go telling Cinder that she is.”

Emerald watched his face, her eyes narrowed. “She’s not going back to prison for your stupidity. If this goes south, you’re taking the fall.”

“Fine.”

* * *

Yang listened to her phone, her eyes closed. She had hoped…

“I understand.”

More listening, one hand slowly rubbing her temples.

“Yes, sir. I’ll get the results.”

Her mouth twitched into a brief smile as she next listened.

“Don’t worry about it, Dad.”

She knew what she had to do now.

* * *

It wasn’t exactly a big reveal, but Yang still sucked in a breath when Neo pulled the sheet off. The bike had been just a copy of her Bumblebee, and Bumblebee was still her baby, but now…

It was gorgeous, of course, black with yellow and silver accents, gleaming in the low light of the garage. She knew what sort of power was inside it, too, what sort of love. Yang grinned, stepping to Neo and hovering a hand just over her shoulder, waiting until the other girl moved into the touch to gently squeeze. “She’s beautiful.”

 _Drive?_ Neo asked, her clenched fists miming a steering wheel. Yang’s sign language was rusty, but she’d learned enough to keep up most conversations about bikes.

“Of course. You want to come with me?” She pulled her helmet on, patting the seat of the bike.

Neo grinned, shaking her head and waving her hands as she backed away. She pointed to Yang’s helmet, then her hair, still grinning. _Helmet hair is a no._

“I’ll go with you.” Mercury’s voice made her jump, his laughter bringing a smile and a flush to her face. “On my own bike. Not gonna ride bitch to you.”

“Aw, practicing seeing my tail lights already? You’re so sweet,” Yang teased, straddling the bike and starting it up. It purred under her, her whole body seeming to vibrate in tune with the engine. She pulled out of the garage, pace slow and steady until they reached the highway. There she opened up the throttle, aware of Mercury beside her as they darted from lane to lane, honking horns in their wake from cars they had cut off. Dangerous, sure, but exhilarating. She never felt quite as alive as when she was courting death.

They took a break at a seacoast rest stop, bikes parked side by side, bodies against the railing they overlooked the sheer drop to the ocean. Waves crashed rhythmically against rocks below, tidal movements sending seawater spraying upwards into a fine mist. Yang looked around the parking lot, the small picnic area and pavilion. Middle of the evening rush and middle of the week, no one else was really out there. She turned her back on the view, leaning on the railing and looking assessingly at Mercury.

“You know, there’s something I wondered…”

“Yeah?”

“So my bike. Even with my employee discount, that cost me most of my winnings to put together. Yours must be about the same… And Emerald’s, and Roman’s car… So… Where’s the money come from? You guys don’t do enough business at the garage.”

Mercury kept his eyes on the ocean, the only sign that he’d even heard her a slight furrowing of his eyebrows. Yang decided to push a little harder when his silence dragged a bit too long.

“I’m not saying I disapprove. I’m saying I want in. Beats the hell out of staying at White Fang.”

Finally he looked at her, eyes on hers, searching. She waited this time, waited for his words, his actions. After a moment, Mercury pulled a crumpled paper from his pocket and handed it to her. She broke eye contact to look at it, frowning.

“What’s this?”

“Desert races. That’s your ticket in. After that… After that we’ll talk.”

It should have made her excited, practically having a confession, practically having proof.

Instead her heart sank.

* * *

Weiss had a trailer and a truck that could tow it, so she could bring both iterations of her Bumblebee to the desert. Blake’s bike also came, a shadow cast between the two of them.

“You should name the other one Wasp,” Weiss sniffed as she rolled it into the trailer, clear distaste. “With a Flynt Coal engine, it’ll definitely whine like one.”

“I think it whines more like a certain Schnee…” Yang grinned as Weiss stomped off to get in the truck, locking her bikes in place on either side of Blake’s and joining them in the cab. It was a bit of a squeeze for the three of them, but Blake and Weiss didn’t particularly seem to mind the closeness.

The drive out to the desert would have been described as ‘scenic’ in a novel. In reality, it was closer to ‘fucking boring’ and Yang was drifting off to sleep after half an hour of identical scenery outside the window. Rocks, sand, occasional rest stop, signs reminding drivers of the absolute _nothing_ around them. Nearest big city? Two hundred miles away. Nearest small city? Even farther.

“...Mercury?” Blake’s voice snapped her out of the near-doze, her attention turning to the other girl.

“Huh?”

“I asked if you were going to race against Mercury. For your pride, more than anything else.” Blake smiled, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “I doubt you have a _third_ identical bike to bet against him.”

Yang bit her lip, thinking on it. Would Mercury even want to race her again? Probably… Competition and adrenaline fueled him just as much as it fueled her. But for titles? Probably not… “If he wants to race, I won’t say no.”

Weiss snorted. “‘If,’ sure. That’s the only reason any of you lunatics go out there, is to race. Even Blake will end up on the track at one point.”

“Can’t help it. The thrill gets me.” Blake leaned over, kissing Weiss’ temple. “Besides, you’ll be there to cheer me on, so of course I gotta show off.”

“Just as long as you don’t get hurt.”

Unthinkingly, Yang rubbed her arm through her jacket. Things would be fine. Of course they would.

* * *

“Glad you made it!” Roman clapped her on the back as Yang dismounted her bike, almost knocking her over. “Neo’s in the trailer if you wanna say hi.”

“Crowds bugging her?” Yang guessed, letting him walk her towards the trailer. She liked Neo, didn’t want to miss an opportunity to talk with her even for a minute.

“A little. She’ll be better after the sun goes down, I think.”

“Everyone else here?”

“Out on the track. Amazed we kept Mercury off it long enough to park this thing, actually…”

Yang nodded, slipping into the trailer to say hi to Neo, promising not to race until she came out. She headed for the track, spotting Mercury, Emerald, and Cinder in the crowd and weaving her way towards them. So two out of the three didn’t really like her, that didn’t mean she couldn’t hang out with them. She raised an arm, mouth opening to yell a greeting before the words died in her throat. There was another woman with them, someone she’d never seen at the garage before. It might have been nothing, but…

Slowing to a stop, she let herself move with the crowd, watching the quartet. They weren’t paying attention to the races, they were looking at something that the woman she’d never seen before held. Some sort of tablet… She’d never be able to get close enough unnoticed. Damn.

Still, she took the time to get a clear look at the unknown woman, mental notes in case it was important. Taller than Cinder, even taller than Mercury, white-blonde hair done in complex, looping buns on top of her head. Pale skin, dark eye make up and darker eyes. It wasn’t a lot to go on, but it was at least a step towards something a sketch artist could use.

Further scrutiny would have to wait, so Yang made her way through the rest of the crowd, coming up behind Mercury and slapping a hand against his ass. Emerald had seen her coming, had gotten the other woman to put the tablet away, but it didn’t really matter. She was here to race, not to work.

“What was that for?” Mercury grumbled, rubbing his backside.

“Figured I’d better get you used to getting spanked, considering how I’m gonna beat you next time we race.”

“Oooh. Shit talk, I like that,” Emerald laughed, the friendliest she’d been to Yang since the blonde had wheeled her bike into the garage. It was disconcerting, slightly, but a welcome change of pace.

“Yeah? What makes you think I built you a bike that can beat mine?”

“Uh, ‘cause Neo built it, not you. Duh.”

Rather than dignify that with an answer, Mercury pulled her in by her waist, kissing her slowly. “So… What are we betting?”

“Mm… Well…” Yang ran a finger down his chest, her head tilting forward slightly to whisper in his ear. “I have some… ideas.”

“I like ideas…”

“God, you two are gross,” Emerald’s voice cut in, reminding them that they were in the middle of a crowd. Yang pulled back, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Sorry, sorry. So, how’s the sign up thing work, anyways? Kinda my first time out here.”

“I’ll show you.” Mercury took her hand, leading her away from Cinder and Emerald.

“Hmm… I think she might be suspicious of us…” Cinder hummed as they left, crossing her arms. “Did Mercury say anything?”

“No. Nothing.” Emerald frowned at their retreating forms, biting her lip. “He trusts her… And that means we can’t trust him.”

* * *

“Have you ever been in the desert before?” Mercury linked his hand with hers, telling himself it was to keep them from getting separated in the crowd. Not letting himself think about the easy feeling of her fingers between his.

“Once. I had a race out here. It’s as hot as I remember…” At least he was on her left, didn’t have to see the patchiness of the skin on her right arm. She’d ditched her jacket in the heat and while she was sure no one could _actually_ tell where the skin was grafted on, it stood out in her own mind.

“A race, huh? Was that the Salt Flats Quarter Mile?”

“How’d you know?” She narrowed her eyes, squeezing his hand in a threatening joke. “Stalking me?”

“It’s the only other race that happens out in the desert. Duh. And I ran in a few of them.” Mercury grinned, pulling her in and kissing her. “We must have just missed each other. What was your time?”

“9.7 on the first race. I… crashed on the second. Messed myself up pretty bad…” She swallowed, looking down at her arm. “Actually, that night on the street was the first time I’d been back on my bike since the accident.”

“First time back on is always harder,” he agreed, his fingers touching her right hand lightly, moving up her wrist and barely ghosting over the grafted skin. “But it’s like an addiction, the speed, the engine… Doesn’t even matter if you win, just as long as you feel it. As long as you go faster and--”

“And beat your best,” she finished for him, grinning. “Shoulda known you’d get it.”

Mercury nodded, turning and leading her towards a tent with a large banner over it, ‘Sign Ups’ printed in all capital letters. He frowned with his back to her, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling.

It had to be a coincidence, a year he hadn’t paid as much attention to the Salt Flats that she’d raced. That was all. She wouldn’t lie to him.

* * *

Twilight in the desert was different, the sinking sun not bringing winds in from the coast, but nonetheless chilling the air. Yang pulled her jacket a little tighter around herself, moving from one makeshift campsite to the next. She’d had dinner with Blake and Weiss, then left them alone to get cuddly and gone to find Mercury.

Instead who she found was Neo, storming towards the camper and visibly upset. Without thinking about it, Yang grabbed her arm, letting go immediately when Neo jerked away from the touch. “Neo? Are you okay?”

“No.” The first time the other girl had directly verbally spoken to her, her words choked and shaking. “No, no, no, no.” Her hands pressed over her ears, body trembling with the effort to contain whatever was bothering her.

Breakdown, Yang realized, spotting the camper just ahead. “Come with me? It’ll be quiet,” she offered, pointing towards the camper. Maybe a little infantilizing, but if she could at least help Neo get somewhere less overstimulating…

They walked through the crowd and Neo practically ran inside the camper, climbing onto one of the beds and pressing her face to a pillow, breathing deeply. Must have been Roman’s bed. Yang gave her space and time, instead sitting at the small table and playing on her phone.

“It’s bad.” Neo’s words were muffled, but she sounded calmer. Her face was pressed against the pillow still, eyes red.

“Did something happen?”

“Mmm....” Neo looked around and Yang understood, opening the notepad app on her phone and handing the device over. She typed for a long time, but most of it was apparently deleting word choices, because when she handed the phone back there were only a few words on it. _They’re doing it again and I’m scared_.

No question of who ‘they’ was. It had to be Mercury and the others, or Roman would be here helping Neo. “What are they doing?”

_Bad things._

“Neo… you can tell me. I might be able to help.”

_Roman says not to tell._

“Are they…” Neo was nodding even before she finished the question and Yang sighed, closing her eyes. She knew it, she had known it, but she didn’t want to believe it. “Neo… I can stop them. If you tell me where they are. I… I’m a cop.”

Neo’s eyes widened and she pulled back, although her fingers worked on the phone still. She turned it around rather than handing it over, watching Yang closely. _You’re going to send them to jail_.

“If I have to. But first… If you think this is bad… If you think they’re in danger… I’m going to bring them home to you.”

Neo looked thoughtful, her eyes dropping to the pillow she’d been laying on. Yang could practically hear the debate in the other girl’s head. Roman in danger or Roman in jail. She seemed to make the decision, typing and handing the phone back. Yang skimmed the message, nodding. “Okay. Things will be okay.”

* * *

He liked his bike more, but with some careful modifications, Mercury could drive the car just fine. In his passenger seat Emerald hooked her harness on, loading the modified shotgun with the hook and wire.

He glanced in the rearview mirror, spotted Cinder and Roman not too far behind. The cell phone clipped to the dash was on an open call with them, and Mercury reached forward, muting it. “Neo didn’t want us to go.”

“She thinks this one is going to go bad, I know. But it’s standard procedure.”

“Doesn’t it seem weird, though? Salem’s never given us information directly before.”

“What seems weird is you doubting the plan. And spending all that time around Yang…” Emerald looked from Mercury to the phone, frowning. “You’re not thinking about ditching us, are you?”

“No. I just… I’m wondering if we shouldn’t give the whole thing up.”

“Merc, even if we _did_ stop now, it’d be jail time for all of us. Come on. One last go and then we all head to Mexico and live like kings.” She unmuted the call before he could respond, checking the time and looking ahead. “Target sighted. Everyone ready?”

“Ready,” Roman drawled, putting on a bit more gas to get alongside them.

“Ready on your mark,” Cinder agreed, dropping back just a bit. Roman would corral the truck from the side until Emerald could get into it. Cinder would keep their backs clear. All Mercury had to do was get into position for Emerald to make her move.

“We’re going in five…” He hit the gas, pulling around to the side of the truck and moving to pass it. “Four…” Emerald unbuckled her seatbelt, reaching up and opening the sunroof. “Three...” She climbed onto the center console, lining up her shot with the passenger window. “Two…” Emerald fired and Mercury glanced in his side mirror as always, just in time to look down the barrel of the truck driver’s shotgun. “Fuck! He’s got a gun! Emerald, get down!” THe blast peppered the back of his car, breaking one of his taillights and Mercury swerved on instinct.

“What’s going on up there?” Cinder’s voice, commanding, not at all nervous over the call.

“Fucker’s got a gun!” Mercury called back. “We’re gonna have to call off and make another run.”

“Nah, I got this.” Emerald hoisted herself onto the roof of the car, giving the wire a tug. “Mercury, slow it down and get closer. I can get in there and take care of it.”

“Are you crazy?!”

“Do it, Mercury,” Cinder again and instinct overtook the saner parts of his mind, letting off the gas just enough to bring them in jumping range. The trucker sped up, closing the gap between them and as soon as he felt Emerald make the leap Mercury floored it again, pulling to the side and falling back to drive next to her.

Another blast from the shotgun left black streaks on the front of the truck, just shy of Emerald’s head. Two shots, he’d have at least two more. Emerald dropped down onto the grill of the truck, clearly cussing up a storm.

With some effort, Mercury caught her eye, signalling to wait. He looked towards the truck, slamming the brakes and narrowly missing taking his own shot out of the passenger window. Nevermind Emerald being crazy, the trucker was off his fucking rocker. “Cinder, we gotta get her out of there. She’s gonna _die_.”

“Keep visual on her. I’m coming up to the front from your six, I’ll distract him. Roman, fall back.” She still sounded so calm, so collected. Nothing seemed to ever faze her.

Cinder’s car flashed in his rearview, disappearing under the truck. It was possibly the riskiest maneuver of the whole thing, and with a trucker that wasn’t an absolute madman it usually was a good corralling technique. This time, however, even Cinder held her breath until she was out on the other side, pulling up to the front driver’s side. A shotgun blast punched in her rear passenger window and she jerked the steering wheel, car colliding with the side of the truck with a sickening _crunch_ as the trucker slammed into her, forced her off the road.

“Cinder!” Roman’s voice on the phone, barely heard over the scream and crunch of metal as Cinder’s car rolled.

“I’m good! Go!” At least she was still alive, no telling what kind of shape she was in from here. And they had more pressing issues.

The driver’s turn had flung Emerald from her precarious position on the front of the truck and Mercury could see blood on her arm, the wire wrapped around her, cutting into her skin. He moved over, as close as he dared, and rolled the window down, one hand outstretched for her. “Emerald! He’s reloading, unhook and get off there!”

“...arm… can’t…” He could barely hear her over the pounding diesel engine of the truck, but it was obvious enough what the problem was. Breaking glass told him that they were out of time, another blast from the shotgun tearing the jeans away from Emerald’s leg. They had to get her out of there.

An incoming call gave Mercury a bare moment of distraction, tapping the answer button without a second thought, shocked to hear Yang’s voice on the other side. “Leave me space between you two, I can get her down!”

“Yang?” Mercury glanced in his rearview, seeing her bike coming up fast behind them. The modified Bumblebee, the one they’d built together. Shit, it really would run better than a 9.7… But there were definitely more pressing things to think about. “Okay, got it. You’re not gonna have much time, fucker has a gun.”

“Just be ready to catch us!”

Yang tightened her grip on the throttle as she pulled up, locking it in place with a bobby pin once she was even with Mercury and Emerald. It wouldn’t hold for long, but she only needed a few seconds. Standing, Yang dared a glance inside the cab of the truck just in time to see a shotgun pointed at her. She ducked back, feeling the sting of shrapnel and cursing.

By some miracle, the driver had only loaded two rounds in and had to reload again. Yang moved fast, unhooking Emerald from the wire and unwrapping it from her arm, aware of the blood that slicked every movement. They’d need a medical flight as soon as they stopped and instinctively she glanced around for a mile marker or road sign.

With a grunt of effort, Yang managed to get Emerald most of the way into the sunroof of Mercury’s car, leaping from her bike to follow just as the bobby pin let go and her acceleration stopped. She landed with a grunt, scrambling into the car and feeling the jolt and crunch as the trucker hit them, crushing her bike between the metal and sending them careening off the road.

Working with Mercury, she pulled Emerald out of the car, glancing up at him. “Shirt. And belt. Now.” Compression on the leg wound, tourniquet on the arm. Mercury handed them both over without a word, looking over his shoulder as Roman and Cinder pulled up in Roman’s car.

Yang remembered her cell phone, somehow still in her back pocket though her headset had come unplugged. She yanked her helmet off rather than search for the cord, dialing and holding her phone to her ear. “This is Officer Yang Xiao Long, badge number 2-4-1-1-0. I need a medical evac flight, I-15, about forty miles west of Baker. We’re on the side of the road, have a female, mid-20s, shotgun injury to the leg and severe lacerations on her arm.”

She could feel Mercury looking at her, knew the look in his eyes without having to look up at him. When she did look up from Emerald he was gone, back to the car with Cinder and Roman, back onto the highway and out of her life.

The helicopter arrived in half an hour, medics on board assuring her that they’d do all they could for Emerald. They didn’t ask any questions. Yang didn’t offer any answers.

Ten minutes later, Blake and Weiss showed up with the truck and her original Bumblebee. She gave them only the barest of thanks before leaving, pushing her bike as hard as she dared back to the city.


	6. Chapter 6

Yang slowed down as she came to the garage, not sure what she’d be coming into. She hadn’t called in for backup yet, didn’t have a reason why she would hesitate. The only person that knew anything was Blake, the barest details texted to her so the other girl would bring her bike.

The garage was empty, tire tracks leading out telling her enough of the story. They’d cut and run, not surprising. She wondered if Neo had been abandoned at the desert track, quickly scratched the idea. Roman would sooner die than abandon Neo, she was sure of it.

“Fuck!”

She hadn’t expected the shout, reached for her gun on instinct before remembering she didn’t have it. Yang walked through the garage slowly, keeping close to the walls, her eyes open for anything. She stepped out the back, taking in a breath to see the back garage door open, the dust cover taken off Mercury’s old bike. The original Quicksilver.

“Mercury…?”

He looked up from strapping a bag to the back, eyes narrowed. “Here to bring me to jail?”

“Where are the others?”

“Canada, Mexico, who knows.” He moved closer, shoving her back. “You’re a _cop_!”

Yang stumbled, keeping her eyes on him. “Yeah. I am. Why are you still here, Mercury?”

He glanced back at his bike, gritting his teeth. “Had to get a few things. So, you come to put me in handcuffs?”

Of course she was. It was her job, her family legacy. “I haven’t called in your possible location yet. Mostly because I wasn’t sure you’d be here.”

“And yet you came right here.”

“Mercury…” She swallowed down the frustrations, closing her eyes for a moment. “What happens now?”

“I leave. You try to stop me. One of us has a really bad day.” He moved back to the garage, swinging one leg over the bike. “You know… The last time I rode this bike was the night my old man died. He got drunk and fell asleep with a lit cigarette. Burned to death without ever waking up…” He started the bike, rolling it out of the garage. “Kinda funny, ‘cause he wasn’t a smoker.”

Yang jogged back through the garage, aware too late that the sound of Mercury’s bike hadn’t faded into the distance. She moved slowly to her bike, watching him as he pulled his helmet on. He was lined up with her, a crack in the pavement a good enough start line.

“All that work gone to waste, you know…”

“Hey, Bumblebee is just as good as anything you built.” She mounted the bike, pulling her helmet on. “I’ll prove it.”

Mercury snorted, pointing down the road. “That stoplight is a quarter mile away. When it turns red, we go. Let’s see how fast you can actually go.”

Yang grinned, giving her throttle a slight push, engine humming. “You just wanna see how you look in my taillights.”

“In your dreams, blondie.”

**Green Light**

Both of them leaned forward, eyes narrowing. Gleaming chrome, bright yellow, dashes of black on both.

**Yellow Light**

Yang took a slow breath, her mind pushing out everything but the essentials. The bike. The road. The light. Those were the only things that mattered.

Mercury tightened his grip, his focus narrowing. Quarter mile. Quicksilver. It didn’t matter what the prize was, only the time it’d take the two of them to get there.

**Red Light**

They both hit it at the same time, bikes roaring down the road. A quarter mile, an empty road, ten seconds to perfection. Less than ten seconds, with any luck, though there wasn’t anyone to time them.

Neither looked to the other, neither was even aware of the other. There was only the road in front of them, the bike below them.

And of course, neither saw the truck coming to the intersection, right of way with a green light. There wouldn’t be enough time to stop, the only chance was to hit the gas and outpace the truck. Assuming they were even aware of it. Assuming they even cared.

The trucker saw them, however, blasting the airhorn as they approached the intersection. Just enough of a warning for Yang and Mercury, half-second assessment that there was no stopping.

They blasted through with fractions to spare, the squeal of brakes behind them like a scream. Yang let off, breathing hard, looking to Mercury. They had crossed dead even, and under his helmet she could almost see the grin. Or maybe it was just the reflection of hers.

“Did you time that?”

“No.” Mercury laughed, sitting back on his seat, looking up to the sky. “Did you?”

“God, if only.”

For a second they forgot the law, what sides of it they were supposed to be on. Yang pulled her helmet off, shaking her hair out as Mercury took his off. She dismounted her bike, stepping over to him and leaning over him. “Hey…”

“Hey yourself…”

Handcuffs, she reminded herself, leaning down and kissing him slowly. “That trucker’s probably gonna call the cops.”

“I know…” His hands moved to her waist, pulling her in close. “And I won’t be here.”

“I know.”

They kissed again, eyes on each other before Mercury let go. He pulled his helmet back on, started the bike up and drove away. Yang watched him go, watched the road after he was out of sight. She turned to her bike, putting her helmet on and getting on her bike.

* * *

“ _Yang_!” Ruby practically dove on her big sister, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tight as Yang came into the police station.

“Hey, kiddo.” She ruffled her hair, grinning. “Long time no see.”

“Uh, _yeah_. What happened? Where were you? We heard about the accident and then we didn’t hear anything--dad thought you ran off with them!” Ruby was a mile a minute, as usual. Her hands were still on Yang, as if making sure she was actually there.

“A lot happened. C’mon, maybe if you pout, they’ll let you sit in on the debrief.” Qrow was approaching as she spoke, a tablet in his hand and a frown on his face. Not far behind him was Ozpin, and Taiyang.

The five of them shut themselves in a conference room, settling around a table. Ozpin was the first one to speak.

“The girl in the hospital took a plea deal even before we could offer her a lawyer. Information in exchange for a reduced sentence. We have… almost everything we need already. However, the others involved have disappeared.”

Qrow picked up there, placing his tablet onto the table. “Border patrol reported individuals crossing illegally on bikes and in cars, which isn’t anything new… But security camera pictures show some of them matching our records.” They passed the device around and Yang swallowed, looking through the pictures. Roman and Neo in Roman’s car, Cinder on her bike, and Mercury on his Quicksilver. “Unfortunately, Mexican authorities aren’t being very cooperative…”

“So,” Ozpin continued, looking around the room. “We have a choice. And we want input from those involved… We can go after them in Mexico, use international law to bring them back. Or we can use what Emerald has given us, go after the orchestrators rather than the perpetrators.”

Yang frowned, tapping a finger against the table. “None of the drivers have been hurt… And we can trace the stolen goods, get them where they belong. So… I think we go after the orchestrators.”

“Of course you do,” Taiyang laughed, shaking his head. “I agree, though. Getting Mexican authorities to cooperate about this is more hassle than it’s worth, and if we don’t go after the orchestrators, it’s just going to start up again with a new group.”

“Yang, do you know anything about the orchestators? To check the information Emerald gives us,” Ozpin asked, his eyes on her over his glasses.

“Not much, unfortunately. It all sort of blew up at once. I did see them talking to a woman out in the desert, but I couldn’t tell you much about it… Still, set me up with an artist and I’ll describe her, I guess.” She shrugged. “Any leads, right?”

“Any leads.”

* * *

Her name was Salem and she was wanted internationally. To be part of the operation that took her down, Yang couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride.

Ruby found her in her room after the operation, brushing out her damp hair. “Hey, sis. How ya feeling?”

Yang looked up, smiling and shrugging. “Not bad. Good day today…”

“Yeah… Wish I’d gotten to go on the job, but they pulled in Coco’s team and Nebula’s. Sun wanted to go, too, but… Gotta share the glory.”

“At least you weren’t punished for my bad intel on the Winchester job.” She set her brush down, looking in the mirror as Ruby dropped onto her bed.

“I mean, he still did illegal stuff, just not as much as we thought.” Ruby rolled over, hugging one of Yang’s pillows. “But I’m wondering… What about Mercury?”

Yang frowned, her hand almost knocking over her make up bag. “What about him?”

“You two were… I mean… Close, right?”

“He was a job.”

“Yang.”

“Ruby,” she returned in the same dry voice, standing up and going to her closet. Yang sighed, shoulders dropping once she was out of sight. “I’ve been… Thinking about him.”

“What’re you gonna do?”

“I don’t know…”


	7. Epilogue

The beach was nice, the houses close by small but seeming inviting. The roads weren’t paved, not the most comfortable for a bike, but then again, potholes were way worse.

The garage was small but efficient, business steady enough. They’d made a place for themselves in the months since the bust, and Yang rolled up to it slowly, not sure what to expect.

“Be right with you!” Someone called as she dismounted her bike, taking her helmet off and putting on a pair of sunglasses.

“I heard this was the best mechanic in town,” Yang called back, walking into the garage and looking around.

It was tense for a moment, all eyes on her. Yang smiled, popping her sunglasses up into her hair and looking from person to person. Neo finally broke, running over and waving her hands, clear excitement. Yang lifted a hand, letting Neo move into the shoulder-squeeze, her version of a hug.

Roman approached slowly, looking her over. “What seems to be the trouble?”

“Well… I was hoping that someone here might know a thing or two about bikes.”

“There might be someone. Hey, Merc!”

Mercury stepped forward slowly, wrench in his hand. “What’s the trouble with it?”

Yang grinned, stepping closer. “Well, someone said I could beat a 9.7 with some upgrades… I wanna see if that’s actually true.”

“It might be… If you have the cash.”

“And if you have the parts.”

“You worry about your end, I’ll worry about my end.” He dropped the wrench, pulling her in close and kissing her slowly. Yang leaned into him, her forehead pressing against his. “Missed you, blondie.”

“You’re a sap… I missed you, too.” She kissed him again, arms wrapping over his shoulders. “Emerald’s going to be down as soon as her probation is up. You’re easier to find than you’d think, all things considered…” She stepped back, looking over the garage. “Where’s Cinder?”

“Disappeared around when Salem got arrested. She hasn’t been in touch.” Mercury shrugged. “We’ll see what happens there.”

Yang nodded, moving around the garage and pulling her hair up. “Well, guess that means you’re down a set of hands. Come on, let’s get to work.”

It hadn’t been easy, leaving her family behind. Leaving her career. But she’d made the decision, followed through with it, and didn’t have any intention of looking back.

She’d left one family for another, that was all.

* * *

Yang woke up to sun streaming in the open windows, curtains fluttering with a sea breeze. Something had pulled her from sleep far earlier than she wanted, some noise… She yawned, rolling back over and pressing her face to Mercury’s chest, trying to let his heartbeat pull her back down to sleep.

Except there it was again, that noise. A small, constant, infuriating buzz.

With a groan, the blonde turned over and reached to the floor, feeling in her discarded jeans for her cell phone. If it was another telemarketer she was going to scream. Even moving to another country hadn’t stopped those kind of persistent calls.

 _Unknown Number_.

Yang answered the call as she stood up, phone pressed tight to her ear. “What do you want.”

“Is that any way to talk to your favorite uncle?”

“ _Qrow_?” She glanced over her shoulder, moving out of the room before her voice could wake Mercury up, into their small living room. “How did you get this number?”

“FBI connections.”

“Bullshit, you don’t have jurisdiction outside of the US.”

“Okay, so Ruby gave it to me. Listen, Firecracker…”

Yang leaned on the wall, closing her eyes. “I don’t want to hear it--”

“We have a job for you. For all of you,” Qrow continued like she hadn’t spoken, his voice low. “Something that will wipe their records clean and get Emerald off probation that much sooner.”

Yang frowned, pushing off the wall and starting to pace. She wanted her simple life, working in the garage, racing bikes, falling asleep in Mercury’s arms at night. She wanted to go shopping with Roman, and to the beach with Neo, and so sometimes she missed her family, that was what international phone plans were for. “What’s the job?”

“How much do you know about Schnee Engines?”


End file.
